The invention relates to a device for removing hair from the body. It is known to apply heated and thus liquid depilatory wax to the skin and then remove the solidified wax from the skin taking with it hairs captured in the wax. Typically the wax material is presented in a bottle, and is heated therein, and is then passed over in a roller in a dispenser fitted to the bottle to form the wax layer on the skin.
This invention is based on the discovery that a new design of dispenser offers certain advantages.
According to the invention in one aspect there is provided an applicator for use in depilation, the applicator comprising a container having an outlet for release of heated depilatory material contained in the container, a dispenser mounted on the container adjacent the outlet, the dispenser comprising a housing containing a ribbed roller, a gap being present between the roller and a facing wall of the housing, recesses being present in that facing wall so that the heated material flows from the outlet over the roller and between the ribs and the recesses to form a substantially even layer on the skin.
Preferably the roller has circumferential ribs. Neighbouring ribs define grooves, the presence of which provides for a more even flow of the heated depilatory material.
Preferably the distance between adjacent recesses is greater than that between neighbouring ribs on the roller. The depilatory material may be selected from any of the available materials. Preferably the material comprises or includes a pine rosin. Such a composition can be heated to 40xc2x0 C. to make it liquid; the use of a material which is liquid at that temperature is particularly cool and comfortable to the skin.
As a result of the formulation selected and the shaping of the roller and the presence of the recesses in the facing wall of the housing it is possible to apply a particularly thin layer of material. This will usually be less than 0.4 mm and even as thin as 0.3 mm. As a result the customer being treated will feel more comfortable and less material will be used so the treatment is particularly economic.
In another aspect the invention provides a method of removing hair from the skin, using an applicator as just defined, the method comprising fitting the dispenser on to the outlet of the container and heating the depilatory material in the container until it is flowable, inverting the heated container and holding it at an angle of about 45xc2x0 to the skin to be treated; then moving the applicator so as to apply a thin coat of the material; allowing the material to solidify and so trap hairs; applying a tear off strip to the solidifying layer and pulling off the strip in a direction against that of the hair growth.
Preferably the container is a bottle having a neck on which sits a removable cap, typically the cap is held on by a screw thread connection. For use, the cap is removed and the dispenser fitted. The bottle is placed in a heater to heat up the contained solid material typically to about 40xc2x0 C., to make it flowable. The heated bottle is then removed from the heater apparatus and inverted so that the flowable material will exit the outlet in the neck on to the roller. The wall of the housing is relieved at spaced apart locations opposite the roller so that when the material flows through the neck of the bottle on to the roller which is then rotated, the heated material will spread, guided by the recesses on the housing side wall to form a narrow substantially uniform layer on the skin, about 0.3 mm thick.
Preferably the material is based on pine rosin; the use of rosin is particularly advantageous in that it causes few, if any, allergic reactions.